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Rainos
Rainos is one of the factions of the Lands of Mythron. It occupies and shares a name with a large landmass on the eastern half of the Lands of Mythron and is characterized by an independent spirit and love of freedom. History - Pre-Unbinding Rainos has existed as a distinctive land for many centuries or even millennia. However, until about 300 years ago, it was a land of warring, petty kingdoms with no organization or national identity. The Mythronian conquest changed that: invaders and colonists from across the sea toppled the clans one by one until all of Rainos was under the High King's rule. In the colonial phase, some of the more helpful and civilized cities and clans were allowed to keep their previous shape to some extent, as long as they obeyed and paid tribute to the Mythronian Empire, while others were broken up entirely, their people made serfs to Mythronian overlords. Despite this, Mythron was unable to win peace: the next few centuries were dotted with rebellions and revolutions, and wild tribes still lived in remote highlands and deep wilderness far from the reach of Mythron's soldiers. To counter this, a branch of the royal house made its home in Iremore and established a line of dukes to keep the island in check. In the 20s BU, Mythron suffered under a mad king only to have him replaced by a heavyhanded one, Mythros. Meanwhile, the Duke of Rainos died and was succeded by his son, a friend of the new king. While the king sought more money from Rainos to make up for his predecessor's waste, the duke tried to convince him to make Rainos an official part of Mythron and give its people the rights of citizens. Their disagreements led to the War of Unbinding in 20 BU, a bitter conflict that pitted the duke and the clans against the king and the empire, and in the process split the empire into four factions. The duke himself slew the emperor at the Battle of Unbinding, starting the new calendar and cementing Rainos' independence. History - Post-Unbinding King Bartok, formerly Duke of Rainos, was crowned in his castle in Iremore following the defeat of Mythron in the Battle of Unbinding. By this time, two other factions in addition to Mythron had arisen: a pirate-nation on the Enalican islands, known as the "Pirates", and a loose union of organized Outlaws in Mythron's north. Rainos was on good terms with the Pirates, although there was raiding between the two factions, and had little or no interaction with the Outlaws until the spring of 5 AU. In 5 AU, many Rainosian armies and warbands joined forces with a few Pirates in an invasion attempt against Mythron. This attempt fell flat, but it did succeed in making the Outlaws resent the foreigners trying to invade their land, even if they were not part of society there. Raino-Outlaw relations took a steeper dive in the next couple of months, when the would-be invaders found that they lacked the force to do real damage and instead joined the Mythronians to take as many Outlaws for bounty as they could. The Outlaws retailiated by launching an invasion of their own in their first coordinated action as a faction, sending thieves through the tunnels under the Sea of Division to steal the blue diamonds being produced in Guaire. King Bartok used this to inspire a much more effective action on the part of his country: he persuaded a great number of Rainosian adventurers to go back through the tunnels, sweeping out the Outlaws and claiming the passage for Rainos. He meant to use this to launch a more-effective invasion, but instead his forces lost interest. Together, this conflict between Rainosians and Outlaws was known as the Guaire Diamond Fiasco. Rainosians also took part in the fall of Tomeu, although they used artillery on the city and held up fleeing people rather than take direct action in the siege. The new nation that was founded from this event, Nerogue, proved to be more an enemy of Rainos than the Outlaws when it allied with Mythron to launch a massive, well-planned invasion of Rainos in September of 5 AU. In fact, many Outlaws joined the cause on Rainos' side, preferring to fight against a rebirth of the Mythronian empire than to carry a grudge. Rainos beat off most of the attack, devestating the enemy fleet and dealing Mythron a crushing blow. As a result of Mythron's invasion, Rainos' relationships with the other factions were changed. Nerogue and Mythron, of course, were affirmed as bitter enemies, and weak ones at that in the eyes of Rainos. Furthermore, heroes of the September battles - Outlaw and Rainosian alike - were honored with victory celebrations in the Black Knight Tavern in Iremore, and one Outlaw, Jaldor, was rewarded with the rule of a town that he had fought to protect. Relations between the two "chaotic" factions seemed to be entering a sunny new phase. Meanwhile, many Rainosians were viewing the Pirates with disgust - despite their alliance, the sea-raiders had neglected to show up for battle in any force due to the extreme corruption and ineptitude of their leaders. This sparked a little-known Rainosian hero and veteran of the recent battle, the Masked, to leave his home faction and begin the massive project of clearing out the old leadership and making the islands into the Rainos-like raiding faction of Enalica. At this time, the island of Exileseat - which the Masked had established a colony on - was ceded to his new nation as a sign of good faith. Soon, a new force, the Black Lotus, made its debut by killing King Rowan Richardson, the son of the king that Bartok had killed at the Battle of Unbinding. Many Rainosians found this organization, which dedicated itself to the downfall of Mythron, to be attractive, while others were deterred by its coersive and violent recruiting policy. While the clans were deciding what to make of the B.L., ambitious Dragon general Lukas Spine requested backing in launching an invasion of the Outlaw city of Elpis. Bartok, although he had awarded individual Outlaws for friendship and service and even granted the great city of Guaire to an ex-Outlaw named Rego Arian, approved this move against the Outlaw crime syndicate known as the Organization on the basis that taking Elpis would be a good first move if the time came to once again threaten Mythron with an invasion. Relations between the factions of Rainos and the Outlaws were destroyed once more, and Spine's forces were stopped in the mountains before they could even reach the city. Meanwhile, the Black Lotus had increased its operations. It now had the backing of the Masked, the Bulls and at least some of the Dragons, although Nerogue, Mythron and the Outlaws were all set against it. The Lotus stepped up its operations and began to move one massive army towards the Mythronian capital of Reedus, while another - composed of equal parts Bulls, Dragons and Lotus followers - marched on the northern city of Meids. The former army was met with a smaller army from the defending side, but it was completely shattered by the revelation that the whole Black Lotus had been coordinated by the heir to the Mythronian crown as a way of assassinating his brothers and was never meant to do more than terrify the inhabitants of Mythron. Because the northern army was largely under Rainosian leadership, however, it remained intact and simply switched its goals from "destruction" to "conquest". This campaign, too, was ended shortly, but on a brighter note: while its ability to take Meids was questionable, King Bartok was able to arrange a treaty with his newly-made counterpart, King Sadon, which made Mythron's northern coast into neutral waters and gave Rainos a naval base on the island just off the coast of Meids. Peace came over the Lands for a time, until gold was discovered in the jungles of Santuario, the island shared between Rainos and Enalica. No war broke out immediately as the factions all scrambled for their shares, but shortly afterwards a spat broke out between the Dragon and Iber Tribes of Rainos over the spoils. This dispute acted as a catalyst for tensions that had existed between parts of Rainos since the War of Unbinding: Some, such as the Ibers, Bulls and Boars, stuck to Rainos' more barbaric side and liked Rainos as a collection of independent groups with no true ruling power, while others, including the Dragons, felt that Rainos should move on, adopt some of the hallmarks of civilization and try to emulate unified factions like Mythron or Nerogue. After making some cautious decisions, Mythron and the Outlaws sided with the Dragons' alliance while Enalica and Nerogue backed the Ibers' division. The Rainosian Civil War ended with a peace council rather than a decisive victory, but weakened the past alliances between both Mythron and Nerogue and Rainos and Enalica, especially now that the Masked had disappeared, leaving an uncertain power vacuum. The early months of 7 AU saw the Tourney come to Guaire, and, for the second time, the city's lord took second place as a stranger from a distant (but Rainos-like) land won first place. While the festivities were going on, the Coordinator of the Outlaws made a bold move: he declared the region of Bodus and all of the towns and cities therein to be independent of Mythron and subject to his rule and that of the Outlaw council. As the factions mulled this over, a new authority named Reia Loda rose in Enalica. When Nerogue declared its support and friendship for the new Outlaw Confederacy, Mythron launched a devestating invasion against its former ally, cutting deep into Nerogueian territory and threatening the capital as Loda's Golden Army blockaded and raided along the eastern coast of the island of Mythron. For the first month of this war, Rainos took no part - their dislike for the Outlaw organization countered any desire most Rainosians had to take the part of somewhat-friendly Nerogue. Instead, using the Supreme Spy Council as a messenger service, plans and offers were passed around the island, forming a network between Rainos' various fighting forces that allowed them to coordinate military action without giving power to a central authority. In May, this network had its first test as it sent Rainosian agents to assassinate Enalican officers or inspire the people of Santuario to rebel, and larger groups to build a fortress in the tunnels under the Sea of Division and reclaim Exileseat with an overwhelming assault from below. These acts were not quite enough to start an entire war, but Enalica and Rainos engaged in a duel over Santuario as Rainosians armed and inspired rebels while the Golden Army moved in to put down any uprisings. Meanwhile, a new wall was built around Exileseat, which, coupled with the fortress in the tunnels beneath it, made it into a nigh-impregnable fortress for Rainos. Tragically, both Rainos and Enalica suffered a setback: the people of Santuario threw out Golden Soldiers and Rainosian firebrands alike and the island descended into anarchy with three rebel movements all fighting for dominance and killing off any dissenters they could find. Recently, Rainosians have been called away from the quest to reclaim their lost lands in the south: a message was sent through Rainos' new network that the Outlaws want to have a conference with Rainos' many influential figures in Bodus. It remains to be seen what will happen to Santuario, and why the meeting in Bodus has been called. Tribes and Peoples Rainos has a king who interacts with foreign powers and has influence over his citizens, but the true power of the faction is wielded by the individual groups that make up the country. Clans, cities, tribes and fiefdoms - these groups can act on their own initiative and all have their unique characteristics. The Dragon Clan The largest tribe in Rainos. Their uniforms are from either the Kingdoms series Dragon Knights (whose colors are dark green and black with dark pearl or black armor, while gold, bronze, yellow, and light green are used as as secondary colors) or the 2013 Castle Dragon Knights (whose colors are black and bright red with touches of bright silver). Some see them as the most civilized clan, and a significant number of elves and half-elves swell their numbers. There are three branches of the Clan, once united by the missing Lord Spine, and now is led by the three deputies. Rulers: General Hawthorn (Asad, formerly Adam Brunsting), Lord Gormeing (Night Reaper), and Lord FitzAlan (Drew Johnson) The Bull Clan A clan which occupies lands along the northern coast. The Bull Clan's forward-thinking chieftain has wrought its forces into a "New-Model Army" complete with ranks and regiments, and pushes for power wherever he can, be it with the Black Lotus or raids on Mythron. Members use black, plain red, brown, and old dark-stone-grey garments, often with dragon-styled helmets in the fashion of the villains from Knights Kingdom I, but they have been mixed with elements from the Fright Knights and other black-and-red warriors. Ruler: Cedric the Bull (Gilbert Despathens) The Iber Clan A small clan from Southern Rainos. Members usually wear fantasy-line troll torsos resulting in sand green sleeves with yellow hands, and they often carry spears. In habits and culture they are partially inspired by Spanish soldiery during the renaissance, but they maintain the low technical and social standards of the rest of Rainos. They have black, brown, or dirty-blond hair, and import gold or shiny silver armor and conquistador helmsfrom Enalica for prestige. Ruler: King Alberto III (NPC) The Boar Clan The Boar Clan wears black armor, often with silver spiked rivets (see the "Evil Knight" from the collectable minifigure line). Their emblem is a dark brown boar's head, and rumor has it that they occasionally ride giant boars into battle. Ruler: Lord Ribald Boar's Tusk (Kaeleb Appleyard) The Bear Clan The Bear Clan is a small group of Warriors led by a secretive leader named Aleric. They live in Nothern Rainos, near the city of Grorm. They are a rag-tag bunch, with no official uniform, but they are deadly warriors. The Dark Valley Clan This group from the area around Iremore wear chain mail and use dark blue as their primary color, but can be distinguished from Mythronian grunts by their mix of brown wool clothing and their extreme proficiency with the longbow. Since this peaceful clan rarely marches to war, King Bartok often employs them as guards of his castle. The last major battle they took part in was the liberation of the Iremore region at the start of the Rainosian War of Independence, in which they slaughtered regiments of crack knights with massive arrow storms. The Army of Guaire After Rego Arian (Toa Infernum) came to rule the city, he provided its garrison with new armor and uniforms and recruited additional members. This private army wears the garb of the Castle black-and-red Dragon Knights with Roman helmets, and is often difficult to tell apart from Gormeing (Night Reaper)'s branch of the Dragon Clan. One of the key indicators is the polished, ruthless attitude with which these paid city professionals approach their battles contrasted to the informal, wild atmosphere that surrounds a typical raiding party. Other Many bands of mercenaries and criminals exist outside of the main clans. These free-riders are associated with no community or background, and often wander the island of Rainos in sleeveless chain mail tunics and other patches of armor, normally in a rebellious Mythronian blue. Their weapons are numerous, ranging from clubs to brass knuckles to chains to daggers to bottles. In a real battle, it is unlikely that they would stand against a trained army, but they wreak havoc in bar fights and against stragglers or people who look at them funny. Not all members are violent brutes, though - plenty are just older people who joined up to get their kicks by riding around the country in leather and maille. Some clans made up entirely of orcs exist throughout Rainos. Almost all of these minifigures are from fantasy-line trolls or LOTR orcs. Notable Ruler: William the Scarred, Orcish Raider (NPC) Cities and Towns of Rainos: In addition to its four principal cities, Rainos contains a number of small towns founded by its members and occasionally awarded as fiefdoms to its close allies. See the following section for more information on the township system. Cities: Iremore- Property of Halhi 141: The capital of Rainos, Iremore is the one place where fighting between clans is banned. Like Guaire, it was more or less founded by Mythron. Unlike Guaire, Iremore was meant to be the capital. Guarded by the royal castle of Iremons, the city was supposed to act as Mythron's base of power in Rainos, since troops from Iremore could reach the most distant parts of Rainos to quell rebellions far more quickly than expeditions from the mainland. Ironically, the distance from the mainland meant that Guaire became something of a backwater while Guaire prospered on trade, and the city is best known today for being the first part of Rainos to successfully fight against the Mythronian overlords that founded it. King Bartok's castle is the jewel of the city, set into the valley wall halfway up a mountain. The town also boasts a stone wall and a spacious port, and, while not as metropolitan as, say, Guaire, it has a few finer areas alongside the more rustic ones. Another of the city's landmarks is the Black Knight Tavern, a royally-funded establishment that offers free room and board to visiting warriors from other parts of Rainos. Hadran- Property of Asad: Hadran is arguably Rainos' second-greatest city, vying with Iremore for that distinction. It probably started life as a holy site for local cults, then became the location of yearly festivals and finally grew into a permanent settlement. One major indicator of its past is the famous Druids' College, an ancient order that may have been institutionalized during the period in which Troytonian colonists from beyond the sea attempted to build a Rainosian empire with Hadran as its capital. Although the Troytonians are all but gone now, the college remains, training powerful magic-users and exerting political influence on the city of Hadran and Rainos as a whole. In 6 AU, the Lord of Hadran also succeeded to the position of Archdruid, uniting secular and magical power before his disappearance, Guaire- Property of Toa Infernum: Guaire is by far the finest of Rainos' cities, a town to rival any in Mythron. Like Iremore, it was built by Mythronian colonists, but it received a much greater dose of Mythronian architecture and culture thanks to its access to trade networks. Many of its buildings are made of stone, often including characteristic veins of the local dark red rock. The walls have not yet been taken by force, and even beyond the municipal defenses there are numerous private or unclaimed fortified buildings that could hold off small forces on their own. Whenever an event of national importance needs a location, Guaire is the default option. Fleets and expeditions launch from or pass through the city before departure. Following the Rainosian Civil War of 6 AU, the international peace agreements were made in Guaire. This was followed by the Tourney of 7 AU, during which time the city was visited by heroes from around the Lands and hosted three months of competitions and festivities. Grorm- Property of Drew Johnson: Grorm is a medium-sized riverside town. It's located directly on the Yellowstone, one of Rainos' largest rivers, which eventually leads to the sea. A popular haunt for pirates, as well as other seafaring folk looking for a discreet port in Rainos. The people there are mostly friendly, and it is founded on agricultural standards. Most of its income comes from farming. King Bartok gave Lordship of the city to Jonathan Gideon, who appointed a steward. The Steward usurped Gideon's lordship, but is still disrespected and ignored by most of the city. Towns: Hythe- (Unclaimed): Hythe is a small fishing and mining town in between the massive cliffs on the shore of The Strait of Division. Most of the town is built into the cliffs. Hythe is a popular town for those wanting to cross over to Mythron. It is also the source of stone for Rainos and is well fortified because of this. Exileseat (eks-ill-eh-seet): (Unclaimed): Exileseat is a place where men and woman who are banished from anywhere in the Lands ofMythron come to live. It is small, but most of the residents know how to fight. Many outlaws who are tired of running come to live here, as well as other warriors who have no place in towns. The town relies on hunting and sometimes Raiding, but mostly they are hired as mercenaries. Red Sands- (Unclaimed), this town was first given to its mayor following his part in the defense of the coast of Rainos against a Mythronian invasion. It is worth noting that its beaches are not usually red, and the name comes from the blood spilt in Jaldor's stand. Under the rule of its new mayor, Red Sands was liberated from numerous threats and became the birthplace of the powerful Crimson Knights. Since then, Jaldor has been absent for unkown reasons, and the town Category:Rainos Category:Factions